Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) recently has been recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) as a 2024 ALL IN Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting.

The ALL IN Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting recognizes colleges and universities for outstanding efforts to increase nonpartisan student voter participation. MCCC joins a group of 471 colleges and universities recognized by ALL IN for completing four core actions:

• Participating in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge
• Sharing 2022 National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement (NSLVE) Reports with campus voting data with ALL IN
• Developing and submitting a 2024 democratic engagement action plan with ALL IN
• Having a current signatory to ALL IN’s Higher Education Presidents’ Commitment to Full Student Voter Participation

“At Montco, we emphasize the importance of civic engagement because it empowers students to connect their education to the broader world,” said Mike Bettinger, Director of Government and External Relations. “Through this experience, students gain the knowledge, skills and values needed to actively participate in their communities, advocate for meaningful change and take on leadership roles.”

“Registering to vote and participating in elections are vital responsibilities of citizenship, providing individuals with the opportunity to express their views and play an active role in shaping government decisions,” Bettinger added.

“The research is clear: colleges and universities that make intentional efforts to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement have higher campus voter registration and voter turnout rates. This year we saw more colleges than ever before step up their efforts to ensure that their students were registered and ready to make their voices heard at the ballot box,” said Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, Executive Director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “These Most Engaged Campuses are setting the standard for nonpartisan civic engagement work for colleges and universities across the country.” 

MCCC collaborates with a number of external groups to assist students in registering to vote, including Montgomery County Office of Voter Services, NextGen America, The League of Women Voters, and The Woori Center. Efforts are made to incorporate registration tables within student events, including Weeks of Welcome and Spring Fling.

In addition, MCCC partnered with Montgomery County to bring its new Voter Services Outreach Van to its Blue Bell Campus, allowing students, employees and community members to register, apply to vote by mail and complete and submit a mail-in ballot.

Since MCCC joined the All In Campus Democracy Challenge in 2019, it has garnered the following awards and recognitions in addition to the 2024 ALL IN Most Engaged Campus award:

• Gold Campus Award for 2018 Midterm Election
• Silver Campus Award for 2020 Presidential Election
• Presidential Commitment Signatory 2020
• 2020 Highest Voter Registration Rate for Community College in Pennsylvania
• 2020 Highest Student Voting Rate for Community College in Pennsylvania
• Gold Campus Award for 2022 Midterm Election
• 2022 Highest Voting Rate for Community College in Pennsylvania
• Highly Established Action Plan 2024

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. Campuses that join the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge complete a set of action items, with the support of ALL IN staff, to institutionalize nonpartisan civic learning and voter participation on their campus. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge currently engages 10.8 million students from more than 1,075 institutions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.